My sweet baby girl.
I love my baby girl so much! She is full of determination and independence. Since her first night in the hospital, I knew she was going to be a spirited child. That night I frantically and unsuccessfully tried to console a screaming little newborn. Nothing I did made her happy. I felt helpless. One young nurse told me that she had never heard a baby cry like that. That was the last thing on earth that I needed to hear. I burst into tears, flooded by emotions of the events that had happened in the last 12 hours. What was I doing wrong?
As the days and weeks went on, I realized that I wasn't doing anything wrong. She was just showing me her determined spirit. I believe that first night, she was telling me that she was in a new place and she didn't like it. There was nothing I could do to change it and she didn't like it one little bit. If she doesn't like something, you will hear about it. She can outlast the best of us with her determination.
After she turned one, things started to get better. I was finally learning her ways. She had begun to sleep through the night (thank goodness!!). Now that she was starting to communicate, I had an easier time knowing what she wanted. I remember the first time she used a word to tell me what she wanted. She was walking so I think she was about 12 1/2 months old. She walked into the kitchen and said "cookie". At the time she associated "cookie" with food. She could now tell me what she wanted!
What led me to write this was the events of tonight. We've had a hard week. Our air condition stopped working upstairs (where the bedrooms are). We've been able to keep it pretty decent upstairs with fans until we can fix it, but it's still different (how'd they survive before air condition?). She has been having a hard time mainly because of the noise of the fans. So she wakes up sometimes crying. She did that tonight, so I went in to try to comfort her (which by the way is next to impossible!). I held her, but she wouldn't calm down. Then she began to use every word she could think of to communicate to me what she wanted. She started by saying "Mama, mama" "milk, milk" "juice, juice" then she said "go, go". My heart broke! She was telling me that she was thirsty. Of course I could not ignore her effort. I took her downstairs and fixed her some ice water. She was so excited! She drank the whole cup. I sat and held her for awhile. She continued to talk. I knew she didn't want to go to sleep, but she had to. She said "dada?". She wanted to know where he was. I told her "night, night". Then she said "baby". She wanted to get down and play with her baby. I said "no, it's time for night, night". Then she said "cracker?, nana? (Banana)". Now just so you don't think I'm cruel she had just recently eaten a large supper. I told her "no, we need to go night, night". So needless to say I didn't get her calmed down enough to fall asleep in my arms (which rarely happens). I had to let her fall asleep in her crib which she didn't like. But, she was asleep in five minutes.
This is the first time I had a real conversation with her. She can communicate! She is growing up. She's grown so much from that tiny little baby in the hospital. She's still dramatic but she can communicate now!
This past year has been a challenge but things are starting to get easier and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I love her so much and I wouldn't trade her for anything! God has taught me so much through her. He's taught me selflessness, perseverance, to appreciate the small things, and to love unconditionally. It's amazing how God works...she is a miracle to us. I lost a pregnancy a few months before I got pregnant with her. If that other pregnancy had gone on she wouldn't be here. God knew we needed her.
Until next time! Donna
As the days and weeks went on, I realized that I wasn't doing anything wrong. She was just showing me her determined spirit. I believe that first night, she was telling me that she was in a new place and she didn't like it. There was nothing I could do to change it and she didn't like it one little bit. If she doesn't like something, you will hear about it. She can outlast the best of us with her determination.
After she turned one, things started to get better. I was finally learning her ways. She had begun to sleep through the night (thank goodness!!). Now that she was starting to communicate, I had an easier time knowing what she wanted. I remember the first time she used a word to tell me what she wanted. She was walking so I think she was about 12 1/2 months old. She walked into the kitchen and said "cookie". At the time she associated "cookie" with food. She could now tell me what she wanted!
What led me to write this was the events of tonight. We've had a hard week. Our air condition stopped working upstairs (where the bedrooms are). We've been able to keep it pretty decent upstairs with fans until we can fix it, but it's still different (how'd they survive before air condition?). She has been having a hard time mainly because of the noise of the fans. So she wakes up sometimes crying. She did that tonight, so I went in to try to comfort her (which by the way is next to impossible!). I held her, but she wouldn't calm down. Then she began to use every word she could think of to communicate to me what she wanted. She started by saying "Mama, mama" "milk, milk" "juice, juice" then she said "go, go". My heart broke! She was telling me that she was thirsty. Of course I could not ignore her effort. I took her downstairs and fixed her some ice water. She was so excited! She drank the whole cup. I sat and held her for awhile. She continued to talk. I knew she didn't want to go to sleep, but she had to. She said "dada?". She wanted to know where he was. I told her "night, night". Then she said "baby". She wanted to get down and play with her baby. I said "no, it's time for night, night". Then she said "cracker?, nana? (Banana)". Now just so you don't think I'm cruel she had just recently eaten a large supper. I told her "no, we need to go night, night". So needless to say I didn't get her calmed down enough to fall asleep in my arms (which rarely happens). I had to let her fall asleep in her crib which she didn't like. But, she was asleep in five minutes.
This is the first time I had a real conversation with her. She can communicate! She is growing up. She's grown so much from that tiny little baby in the hospital. She's still dramatic but she can communicate now!
This past year has been a challenge but things are starting to get easier and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I love her so much and I wouldn't trade her for anything! God has taught me so much through her. He's taught me selflessness, perseverance, to appreciate the small things, and to love unconditionally. It's amazing how God works...she is a miracle to us. I lost a pregnancy a few months before I got pregnant with her. If that other pregnancy had gone on she wouldn't be here. God knew we needed her.
Until next time! Donna
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